It’s Day 5 of my hospital stay and I’m waiting for the doctors to drain the abscess.

In addition to the abscess, we’re managing my nutrition. I’m still not allowed to eat or drink anything, and today they put in a PICC line. If you, too, hadn’t heard of a PICC line until now, it’s a catheter inserted in your vein so that you can receive medicine or, in my case, nutrition intravenously.

Despite my anxiety, the process was quick and easy. Two health care providers did the procedure right in my hospital room. Everything was covered and sterile, and they gave me some anxiety medicine right before they inserted the IV. I didn’t feel the catheter follow my vein, and before I knew it, it was over. It looks like a large IV in my lower bicep with two “prongs” hanging out, one for medicine and the other for nutrition. The IV is heavily taped so it stays dry and sterile.

I’m currently slated to receive the IV nutrition 24 hours a day, and we’ll slowly cycle down to 18 hours, 16 hours, and 12 hours a day, and then they’ll discharge me. When I’m discharged, a home care nurse will come by twice a week to draw blood to check my nutrition levels and to check the IV.

In the midst of all this, my blood sugar dropped and I was permitted three sips of apple juice. That’s right, three. They actually counted each sip. I’ll leave you with that.